Sources: Arkansas Department of Shared Administrative Services, Office of Personnel Management, Arkansas Executive Branch Pay Tables and Class Code List; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — state estimates. Data captured September 30, 2026.
Arkansas state pay plan Sourced
Published rates for each class, lowest first, effective July 1, 2025. These are the ranges Arkansas sets for its own state employees; cities, counties and school districts have their own pay plans.
| Class and grade | Published rate |
|---|---|
| Heavy Equipment Operator Class TAT05I · class description Grade SGS04 | $43,088 – $63,770 a year |
Schedule: State Government Services Pay Schedule. Rates are as the plan publishes them; "a year" figures are conversions. Classes are matched to this job by title (GovJobsWiki editorial rule).
Source: Arkansas Department of Shared Administrative Services, Office of Personnel Management, Arkansas Executive Branch Pay Tables and Class Code List. Data captured September 30, 2026.
Pay in Arkansas, all employers Sourced
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (SOC 47-2073) in Arkansas, all employers combined: BLS state estimates do not separate government from private.
| Measure | AR |
|---|---|
| Workers | 5,800 |
| 10th percentile | $35,520 |
| Median | $44,520 |
| 90th percentile | $58,670 |
| National median, government employers | $52,750 |
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — state estimates; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — national estimates by ownership. Data captured September 30, 2026.
More about this job
Requirements, hiring process, training, schedule and day-to-day work are on the national Heavy Equipment Operator (government) page.